About Lumilens
Lumilens we are building the critical photonics infrastructure that powers tomorrow's AI supercomputing. From chip-to-chip optical interconnects to scalable photonic engines, Lumilens is unlocking a new era of computing faster, cooler, and massively more efficient.
We're a well-funded startup backed by Mayfield and led by veterans who've built and scaled some of the most transformative technologies in the industry. This isn't incremental innovation's a ground-floor opportunity to rethink the optical layer from the silicon up. You'll work alongside a team of world-class engineers solving some of the hardest challenges in optics, systems, and scale. Every line of code, every design decision, every breakthrough you help deliver will shape the infrastructure of tomorrow.
If you're looking for mission, momentum, and the chance to make an outsized impact jump on the rocket ship. We're just getting started.
Position Overview
Lumilens is looking for an experienced Program Manager / Senior Program Manager with a strong hardware background, preferably with exposure to optical or photonics-based products, to lead complex, cross-functional hardware development programs. This role is critical in driving end-to-end execution across engineering, operations, quality, supply chain, and external partners, ensuring timely delivery of high-quality products to customers.
The ideal candidate understands the complete hardware development lifecycle and brings strong program management fundamentals along with hands-on experience working closely with engineering teams in a fast-paced startup or product-driven environment.
Key Responsibilities
Program & Delivery Management
- Own and manage end-to-end hardware programs, from concept and architecture definition through development, validation, qualification, and customer delivery.
- Build and maintain detailed program plans, schedules, milestones, dependencies, and critical paths.
- Drive execution across multiple concurrent programs, ensuring alignment on scope, timelines, cost, and quality.
- Identify risks early and lead mitigation plans; proactively escalate issues with clear options and recommendations.
Cross-Functional Leadership
- Act as the central point of coordination between hardware, optical, electrical, mechanical, firmware, test, reliability, manufacturing, and supply chain teams.
- Facilitate regular program reviews, design reviews, and executive updates with clear data-driven status reporting.
- Ensure smooth handoff between development, NPI, and manufacturing readiness phases.
Hardware Development Lifecycle Ownership
- Demonstrate strong understanding of the hardware product development lifecycle, including: Requirements definition and change management
- Architecture and design phases Prototyping and bring-up
- Validation, reliability, and qualification NPI, pilot builds, and volume ramp
- Ensure adherence to internal processes, quality standards, and documentation requirements.
Stakeholder & Customer Interface
- Work closely with internal stakeholders and, where required, interface with customers, vendors, and manufacturing partners.
- Translate customer and business requirements into executable program plans. Support customer engagements related to schedules, deliverables, and program status.
Process & Continuous Improvement
- Drive program management best practices, templates, and governance suitable for a scaling hardware startup. Improve predictability, execution discipline, and cross-team communication.
- Mentor junior program managers (for Senior Program Manager role).
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Electrical, Mechanical, Electronics, Optical, or related field).
- 812+ years of overall experience for Senior Program Manager; 58 years for Program Manager, with significant time spent managing hardware programs.
- Proven experience managing complex hardware development programs end to end.
- Solid understanding of hardware engineering processes and product development lifecycle.
- Strong core program management skills: planning, tracking, risk management, stakeholder communication, and execution.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Exposure to optical, photonics, networking, or high-speed hardware products.
- Experience with data center hardware, transceivers, or similar systems.
- Background working in startup or scale-up environments.
- Familiarity with NPI, manufacturing ramp, and supplier management.
- PMP or equivalent certification (optional).
- Excellent cross-functional communication and influencing skills.
- High ownership mindset with attention to detail.
- Ability to balance technical depth with program-level execution.
- Comfortable working with ambiguity and evolving requirements
- Strong problem-solving and decision-making abilities
Benefits:
- Competitive salary and significant equity compensation in a rapidly growing, well-funded startup.
- Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.
- Flexible time off policy.
- Direct impact on groundbreaking technology shaping the future of AI and data centers.
- Opportunity to work with a highly experienced and collaborative team.
- Dynamic and innovative work environment.
- Opportunity for rapid career growth.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, religious creed, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, military and veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, gender, gender expression, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by local law, regulation, or ordinance.
